(Newser)
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Abe Pollin, the son of Russian immigrants who parlayed success in housing development into the ownership of Washington’s NBA and NHL franchises, died today of a rare neurological disease; he was 85. Pollin’s philanthropic efforts boosted many of the capital’s poorer areas, and he put $220 million of his own money into building the Verizon Center—home of the Wizards and Capitals, and a transformative presence in downtown DC.

“Abe Pollin reflects an ownership style that was forged in a different era,” NBA commissioner David Stern told the Post of the decided old-schooler, who saw the then-Bullets win the NBA title in 1978. Pollin brought the Capitals to the city in the NHL’s 1974 expansion; he later sold that team, and a minority stake in the Wizards.